For decades we have been debating over should the Chinese, Tamil, and even Madrasah Rakyat (SAR) schools to stay? Is it really true that the Chinese, Tamil and some Malays want these schools to stay for the sake of cultural sustenance? What really the issue?
(2) Our people, realising Education is important, all races, Chinese, Indian and the Malays, in the early colonial days, are in dire need of an educational institution, that they can trust. Definitely, despite English Schools were first being established, but I pressumed, such schools were missionaries in nature, thus didn't fit into their requirement of the Chinese (who are Buddhist), Indian (who are Hindus) and Malays (who are Muslim). Not only due to their religious conscious, but, I believe langguage (English) bareer do play a factor. Thus, it is a wise move for them initially to start their own school that fit well within their social capability (medium, curicular, and management). Thus, the ORIGINAL purpose for the establishment of these venicular school is to make education available and absorptable (understandable)to their kids. Therefore only the few brave, would send their kids to Missionary-English-based schools.
(3)As the English-Missionary-based school expand, so do all these ethnic-based system. Nontheless, as the country gained Independent, the Missionary-Englished-based school began to evolved into National-based school, with Malay as the medium. Definitely the Malays took this as very brave and patriotic move. But the Chinese and the Indian, I believe, felt otherwise since their Malay proficiency was still very poor. Thus, they preferred to maintain the existence of the Chinese and the Tamil schools. Again, Teaching Medium, becoming the main issue.
(4)Is culture, ie the need to promote and maintaining the traditional ethnic culture also a key factor for the continual existence of these schools? What about religion (especially for the SAR)?
(5) I believe, we have deviated too much from the original intend for the establishment of such ethnic-based schools ie providing education in a medium that could be understood by the then kids.
(6)Religion and cultural intend were more political motivated, with caveat, in Kelantan (my personal 1970s experience)where the SAR school provide better religious teaching among the students as well as catering for dropout students.
(7) But till today, why is that 'noisy' struggle for keeping these ethnic-based schools? After, 51 years independent, are we still that bad in our fluency in Bahasa Kebangsaan? Or is it really, that Teaching Medium still remains the main problem? I don't believe so!!!!!The struggle in fact is more prominent in town...
(8)Let look at what present parents needs. Almost all urban parents need to work long hours nowaday. Their kids mostly are left on their own from morning to evening. This make some to worry. Thus, they want some security for their kids. Leaving them alone at home, might be inviting another problem. Thus, kids after school free hour management becoming a pressing issue.
(9) In Chinese school, various activities being organize after the formal office hour. Tuition, sport, art, culture....socialization with close supervision by the school management are well organize. Thus, chinese school kids (though not all) are academiccaly better..and as well they are more versatile. Is this not the main factor, that make the Chinese wanna keep the school forever? (The SAR, accordingly makes the students much morally incline).
(10)Just compare with the National School....after formal school hours, are there anything being organize to keep the kids to stay back in school...and really develop them into excellent future human resource. We need to relook at how and what are available in our National School to achieve such purpose. Let have the kids to focus on academic in the morning, then direct them to various co-curiculum that would make them a better citizen of the future...make them excellent future human resource. Don't just keep the school as a school but turn the National School into our Prime Human Resource Development Center of Exccelent especially among our young citizen....
(11) Let make our National School the Second Home for our kids, with such, every parent would choose the National School as the only choice. Parents need good security for their kids, while they can focus to their works.
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